I read an article on Fast Company about The Rules of The Creative Class, and combined with a discussion I had had with a friend the day before about young people creating change in Nigeria, a series of thoughts was triggered in my mind. According to Fast Company, one of the rules of the creative class is individualism. They view themselves as distinct, different and unique. They do not try to conform wholly to the rules of their societies, neither are they deviants. They are confident in the knowledge of who they are. In other words, they know which rules are worth breaking. Secondly, the creative class believe in a meritocratic system. They are mostly from the truly wealthy class, and even though they want to make money, they are not driven solely by the lure of money. They are more driven by the vision of something great.
This simply means that creative people, from those working on film and music projects to social and business entrepreneurs, emerge from families that are at the least, mid-middle class; which though not rich, are comfortable, and therefore have their needs such as food, education, etc, taken care of. But beyond that, they emerge from families where they are given the environments to explore their inner selves, either by design or accident. That is what makes them truly individualistic. Even families that do not fall into the economic class of mid-middle class but provide that kind of environment, which in this case, is mostly by accident of negligence, encourages these kids to find themselves and be truly individualistic, though at the great risk of battling the ills of growing up without parental supervision and not being blown away by peer pressures and what-not.
This simply means that creative people, from those working on film and music projects to social and business entrepreneurs, emerge from families that are at the least, mid-middle class; which though not rich, are comfortable, and therefore have their needs such as food, education, etc, taken care of. But beyond that, they emerge from families where they are given the environments to explore their inner selves, either by design or accident. That is what makes them truly individualistic. Even families that do not fall into the economic class of mid-middle class but provide that kind of environment, which in this case, is mostly by accident of negligence, encourages these kids to find themselves and be truly individualistic, though at the great risk of battling the ills of growing up without parental supervision and not being blown away by peer pressures and what-not.